OFFSET
1,2
COMMENTS
(1) Row 1 of R consists of the lower principal and lower intermediate convergents to x.
(2) (row limits of R) = x; (column limits of R) = 0.
(3) Every positive integer occurs exactly once in D, so that as a sequence, A143527 is a permutation of the positive integers.
(4) p=floor(q*r) for every p/q in R. Consequently, the terms of N are distinct and their ordered union is the sequence A001951.
(5) Conjecture: Every (N(n,k+1)-N(n,k))/(D(n,k+1)-D(n,k)) is an upper principal convergent to x.
(6) Suppose n>=1 and p/q and s/t are consecutive terms in row n of R. Then (conjecture) q*s-p*t=n.
REFERENCES
C. Kimberling, "Best lower and upper approximates to irrational numbers," Elemente der Mathematik 52 (1997) 122-126.
FORMULA
For any positive irrational number x, define an array D by successive rows as follows: D(n,k) = least positive integer q not already in D such that there exists an integer p such that 0 < x - p/q < x - c/d for every positive rational number c/d that has 0 < d < q. Thus p/q is the "best remaining lower approximate" of x when all better lower approximates are unavailable. For each q, define N(n,k)=p and R(n,k)=p/q. Then R is the "array of best remaining lower approximates of x," D is the corresponding array of denominators and N, of numerators.
EXAMPLE
Northwest corner of D:
1 3 5 17
2 4 6 8
7 9 11 13
12 14 16 18
Northwest corner of R:
1/1 3/3 8/5 21/17
2/2 5/4 8/6 11/8
9/6 11/9 15/12 18/15
16/8 19/11 22/14 25/17
CROSSREFS
KEYWORD
nonn,tabl
AUTHOR
Clark Kimberling, Aug 22 2008
STATUS
approved